Forget Sydney, Tokyo, or New York City, This Is the World’s Top Coffee Destination

The Dane's have perfected coffee and developed a culture around it in this Scandinavian city.

Copenhagen is incredibly Danish. While that may feel like it's stating the obvious, it's an important note, as other cities that sport similar international clout have all too often become copycats of one another, losing that intangible "it" factor that makes them feel unique. But not Copenhagen. And especially not its coffee scene, which is why the 2024 Global Tastemakers panel of travel and drinks experts deemed the city its Plus One pick — a place that must be on any coffee lover's list.

Copenhagen is a relatively younger force to be reckoned with on the coffee world stage. Here, black filter coffee, referred to as almindelig kaffe, or “ordinary coffee,” is the prominent cup of choice in the city. Roasted in a gentle practice that’s created a characteristically Scandinavian style that employs high-quality beans, Copenhagen coffee is typically on the lighter side to draw forth nuances, complexities, and acidity. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a cardamom studded bun from one of the city's many bakeries. (Of course, Copenhagen's bakery culture is just as impressive.)

Luminaries like Coffee Collective’s Klaus Thomsen, Peter Dupoint, and Casper Engel Rasmussen set the precedent for Copenhagen to define its own northern personality with the coffee bean. Today, the iconic roastery and collection of coffee shops boasts seven locations. The best location (in my humble opinion) resides in the bustling Torvehallerne food market, where visitors can enjoy coffee while taking in the sight of langoustine and urchin strewn across the glittering ice of the fishmonger stalls.

Related: 10 Top Cities for Coffee, According to the Experts

As the scene has progressed, shops like Prolog in the trendy Meatpacking district have pushed the coffee culture forward. Their commitment to sourcing beans from the best ethical suppliers around the world is only matched by their commitment to sustainability.

As in typical Scandinavian proficiency, the coffee drinking experience is equally important as the coffee itself at many of these spots, with the same uniqueness and attention to detail invested in the aesthetic. Case in point: April roastery and café could be easily mistaken for the home of your very stylish Danish friend with the Scandi wooden-backed armchairs, sofas, and abstract coffee tables dotting the space in the style of a living room. Slowly sipping a pour over in this thoughtful roastery's unrivaled space is its own sort of special occasion.

Coffee has become so ingrained in the way of life of the average Dane that there’s even a word for when you drink it at night or have a thirst that only coffee can satisfy: kaffetørstig. Thankfully, as 86% of Danes speak English, any traveling coffee aficionado doesn’t need to know it to have an unforgettable time sampling the many world-class offerings in our favorite city for the perfect cup of black coffee.

Global Tastemakers is a celebration of the best culinary destinations in the U.S. and abroad. We asked more than 180 food and travel journalists to vote on their favorites, including restaurants and bars, cities, hotels, airports, airlines, and cruises. We then entrusted those results to an expert panel of judges to determine each category’s winners. In many categories, we’ve included a Plus One, hand-selected by our expert panel, to shout out more culinary destinations we don’t want our readers to miss. See all the winners at foodandwine.com/globaltastemakers.

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